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Close Encounter with Pete Samprasby:Cynthia Smith (Kent, England)

Location: Wimbledon
Date: Summer, 1999

I hope many of you will be interested to hear how lucky I have been in
receiving two personal messages from Pete. This was before the advent of
the internet - now that top players receive hundreds of emails, I don't
expect to be so fortunate again, which makes these souvenirs all the more
precious.

Before the new building which opened at Wimbledon last year, security was
less tight and there was a place where one could leave messages/letters/cards
for players, and I was told that Paul Annacone picked them up for Pete.
I was pleased to hear this, but would Pete have time or be relaxed enough
to read letters, when he had to concentrate on defending his Championship
again? Well, I actually had proof of this one year, because I put a stamped,
self-addressed envelope and a blank sheet of paper in with my letter. Imagine
the excitement when my envelope arrived in the post - containing the single
but priceless word 'Thanks' [for the things I had said in my letter] and
Pete's signature!! I cut this out and stuck it on the framed picture of
him holding up the 1998 Wimbledon trophy, which is on the wall in front
of me now. It means so much that he found time to read my letter and took
the trouble to send me his autograph AND his personal thanks.